The Sickly Fake Daughter, But a Beloved Darling of All - Chapter 67

Si Yu fell into a long silence after hearing those words. She lowered her head and chewed a few mouthfuls of white rice before replying, “Mm.”

Xu Chengjin blinked. “What do you mean, ‘Mm’?”

“I said it’s fine.”

Si Yu’s face remained expressionless as she served herself a bowl of soup. “What kind do you like?”

Xu Chengjin fell silent as well. She picked up her chopsticks again to eat, the previous atmosphere having completely disintegrated. She took a deep breath. “Someone came to find me today. They said they wanted an alliance through marriage.”

“Who?”

Si Yu was mostly finished eating. She held her bowl and sipped her soup slowly. “They went to the school to find you?”

Xu Chengjin didn’t look at Si Yu. She said, “Someone from the Wu family. I don’t know if you know them.”

“Which Wu?”

Xu Chengjin mentioned a name, and only then did Si Yu have a slight impression. “An absolute idiot.”

“She said that since I won’t live long anyway, I might as well use this time to exchange for something of value,” Xu Chengjin sneered. “It makes sense. Since I won’t live long, I—”

“Xu Chengjin!”

For the first time, Si Yu loudly interrupted Xu Chengjin’s words. Her expression was grim, even showing signs of anger. “Why do you keep…”

Saying these things over and over again, repeatedly denying that she could survive.

Her lips moved, but she held back her words once more. Si Yu took a deep breath. “Your medicine is finished brewing. I’ll go get it for you.”

After speaking, Si Yu stood up and walked toward the kitchen without casting even a sidelong glance at Xu Chengjin, clearly angry.

Xu Chengjin was stunned by Si Yu’s sudden outburst. It took her a moment to realize what she had said and why Si Yu was upset. Her face grew pale, and she hesitated several times before she managed to stand up.

“I…”

Xu Chengjin thought for a moment and decided to walk toward Si Yu. The other woman had just poured the medicine into a bowl and was waiting for it to cool slightly. Si Yu stood perfectly still, as if she hadn’t heard Xu Chengjin approaching.

“I’m sorry.”

Xu Chengjin reached out and wrapped her arms around Si Yu’s waist, leaning against her back. Her voice was muffled. “I won’t say things like that anymore.”

“And I don’t want to get to know anyone else either,” Xu Chengjin said with a slight pout and a hint of grievance. “You clearly know what I want to hear. You clearly know.”

“I don’t know.”

Si Yu turned around and cupped Xu Chengjin’s face in her hands, her brow slightly furrowed. “I don’t know, but you certainly know how I feel, don’t you?”

“You can choose not to accept me, and yet, knowing how I feel, you still asked me to introduce you to other people.”

Si Yu pressed her forehead against Xu Chengjin’s, murmuring, “You are much more heartless than I am.”

Xu Chengjin gazed into Si Yu’s eyes without blinking. She bit her lip. “I don’t understand.”

“I don’t know anything, don’t pin that on me,” Xu Chengjin sniffled. She wrapped her arms tighter around Si Yu’s waist and whispered, “Help me deal with her.”

Si Yu knew exactly who “her” referred to. She gave a small smile but didn’t answer the question. Both of them tacitly changed the subject as if the argument had never happened.

The Chinese medicine was very bitter. After trying a few sips, Xu Chengjin chose to hold her nose and gulp it down. When she finished, she stuck out her tongue, her face contorting from the bitterness. “So bitter.”

“Have a candy.” Si Yu handed her a piece of candy, laughing at Xu Chengjin’s expression. “This is once a day. Should I bring it to you in the evening?”

“I see your evening classes aren’t that frequent. After you drink this and take your other medication, you can take a shower and go straight to bed.”

Si Yu had already planned out the future schedule. She couldn’t personally brew the medicine every time, but if Xu Chengjin was worried, she could let the Xu family handle it.

“Okay.”

After finishing the medicine, Xu Chengjin prepared to head back to school. Si Yu didn’t decline and drove her back. “Take the snacks in the back with you. I picked them out specifically for…”

The drive from the villa to Xu Chengjin’s school took about an hour and a half. Less than five minutes after getting into the car, Xu Chengjin had gone silent. Si Yu glanced back and a smile immediately flickered in her eyes. “Asleep already?”

Si Yu switched the car music to something soothing and turned up the air conditioning slightly, fearing Xu Chengjin might catch a cold while sleeping.

A side effect of this medicine was the same—it caused drowsiness and fatigue. Xu Chengjin couldn’t resist the medicinal properties at all. Not long after getting in the car, she had drifted off, completely unaware of anything that happened afterward.

She only knew that she was woken up by Si Yu, who said they had arrived at the school. Xu Chengjin didn’t think too much of it. She obediently told Si Yu “See you later” and carried her snacks back to the dormitory. Si Yu quickly drove away.

Xu Chengjin’s head throbbed from the nap. When she pushed open the dorm door, she saw a drunk Wu Boran slumped over the desk, staring blankly. The room smelled of alcohol the moment she entered. She instinctively frowned but said nothing.

“You’re back.”

Wu Boran braced herself and stood up. she walked toward Xu Chengjin but, unable to stand steadily, she fell directly toward her. “Don’t…”

Don’t catch me.

But Xu Chengjin caught her anyway. Both of them stumbled back a couple of steps. Wu Boran’s mind was a fog. She whispered, “Are you okay?”

Xu Chengjin didn’t answer that. She only asked, “Why did you drink so much? Are you unhappy?”

“A friend came over tonight. I don’t have classes tomorrow, so I drank a bit more,” Wu Boran answered honestly. She rested her face on Xu Chengjin’s shoulder. “Am I heavy?”

“Not heavy. It’s just that I’m too thin.”

Xu Chengjin helped Wu Boran sit down in a chair. She caught her breath and then asked, “Do you feel sick? Should I order some hangover medicine for you?”

Wu Boran’s response was a bit slow. She gave a low “Mm.” “Okay.”

“Then go take a shower first?” Xu Chengjin coaxed Wu Boran gently. “You smell very strongly of alcohol right now.”

Wu Boran immediately looked up, looking a bit aggrieved. “Do I smell bad?”

“Mm, stinky.”

Xu Chengjin pulled Wu Boran up. “Do you know where your pajamas and underwear are?”

“I know.”

Wu Boran reluctantly grabbed her clothes. She was led into the bathroom by Xu Chengjin. Just as the door was closing, she said, “Can you stay and shower with me?”

Xu Chengjin’s body trembled slightly. she forced a smile. “No. Go and shower quickly.”

“Really, no?”

Wu Boran still wouldn’t give up. She gripped the bathroom door, looking at Xu Chengjin with puppy-dog eyes. “Please, I’m begging you.”

“Even if you beg, the answer is no.”

Xu Chengjin was a woman of iron.

Seeing that the outcome wouldn’t change, Wu Boran could only silently close the door. From her retreating back, one could sense she was sulking. Xu Chengjin felt she should have been cruel enough to film this part to show Wu Boran when she sobered up tomorrow.

Drunk people often lose control of their actions. Xu Chengjin didn’t feel comfortable leaving Wu Boran to shower alone, so she waited by the door from time to time, only feeling relieved when she heard no sounds of a fall from inside.

“Xu Chengjin.”

Wu Boran came out after her shower, her consciousness slightly clearer. She was running her hands through her hair. She hadn’t dried it or used a comb, so she just walked out with her hair in a mess. She sat blankly in the chair, staring straight ahead, lost in thought.

Xu Chengjin was actually quite tired, but seeing this scene, she silently went to the bathroom to get the hairdryer and a comb. “Sit still.”

She let out a yawn and began to comb Wu Boran’s hair, muttering softly, “If you go to sleep without drying your hair, you’ll get a headache. Now you’re not even combing it.”

Xu Chengjin moved quickly, drying Wu Boran’s hair in no time. Wu Boran didn’t say a word the whole time, acting exceptionally well-behaved—a complete contrast to her usual self under the influence of alcohol.

“Xu Chengjin.”

“Mm.”

Just as Xu Chengjin turned off the hairdryer and was about to put it back, her hand was suddenly grabbed. Wu Boran pressed her face against Xu Chengjin’s hand, nuzzling it slightly. “Are you happy?”

“Is there something you want to tell me?” Xu Chengjin quickly realized the intent behind the question. She used her other hand to ruffle Wu Boran’s hair. “What’s wrong?”

“My younger sister has returned to the country.” Wu Boran’s tone was dejected. She turned around and hugged Xu Chengjin’s waist. “My parents don’t like me very much. They prefer my sister. Every time I go home, they treat me like I’m invisible. They say it’s to protect me, to keep me out of the public eye, but it’s actually just ignoring me and not acknowledging me.”

Xu Chengjin took a deep breath and lowered her eyes, her fingertips lightly brushing back Wu Boran’s hair. “So that’s why you went out to get drunk today?”

“Not exactly. I just felt angry,” Wu Boran grumbled. “We’re both our parents’ children, so why is there such a big difference? I’m not ugly, and I actually do better in school than my sister, but she knows how to please our parents more. They never take me with them when they go out to have fun; if I ask, they just say they thought I wouldn’t like it. Today they held a welcome-home banquet for my sister and didn’t bring me.”

As Wu Boran spoke, her eyes began to redden. “I am very angry.”

“It’s their fault.”

Xu Chengjin looked at Wu Boran tenderly. In reality, the main characters in these plots rarely had good childhoods. The only advantage Si Yu and Wu Boran had was that they didn’t lack money as children.

Poor little thing.

Xu Chengjin pinched Wu Boran’s nose and said, “Then just ignore them from now on. You need to make sure you hold onto the family assets. The Wu family will be yours in the future.”

It was unclear if Wu Boran understood Xu Chengjin’s words. She blinked and looked up at Xu Chengjin. “You smell very nice.”

“I put on perfume.”

“It doesn’t seem like it, but I like it very much.” Wu Boran pressed her face against Xu Chengjin’s stomach. “Where did you go tonight?”

“I went to eat with someone, just like you.” Xu Chengjin squeezed Wu Boran’s shoulder, trying to get her to move, but Wu Boran didn’t budge. In fact, she held on even tighter.

Wu Boran huffed. “Definitely not. You’re definitely not like me.”

Xu Chengjin didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but she didn’t plan on arguing with a drunk. Just as she was about to persuade Wu Boran to let go, she heard the other woman speak:

“Can I… sleep with you tonight?”